Car-brake



UNITED STATES JAMES IV. HARTIGAN, OF MORGANTDWN, VEST VIRGINIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,782, datedSeptember 22, 1891.

Application filed March 12, 1891. Serial No. 384,846. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES W. HARTIGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Morgantown, in the county of Monongalia and State of VestVirginia, have invented and produced a new and original Improvement inCar-Brakes, of which the following is aspecification, reference beingbad to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of car, showing my design when thebrake is applied. Fig. 2 is a view of axle and wheels, showing therelation of my brake to the axle. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section ofone end and truck of a car, showing my invention when the brake is off.Fig. 4 is a section of my invention, showing relation of lead and liftchains to the brake-lever when the brake is set. Fig. 5 is a drawingshowing the lever on the locomotive for throwing on or off the brakesand the method of attachment to the lead-chain.

The invention consists in the application of a wire cable or chain tocar-wheels in such a manner so as to act as a brake thereto, and in theprovision of suitable means, whereby such brake may be applied eitherfrom the engine or from any car.

v In the drawings, the letter A designates a lead-chain runningunderneath the cars the entire length of the train, and connectedbetween the cars by a suitable couplinga. At its forward end this chainor cable is connected to any one of several points on the segment-arm bof a lever B in the locomotive, which, when operated, will serve toincrease or diminish the tension on said chain, the various points ofthe connection of said chain serving to take up more or less slack whichmay occur.

011 each end of each ear I provide a vertical rod or shaft 0, providedat its upper end with a wheel or other suitable means for its operation.The lower end of these shafts have an eye 0, through which thelead-chain is passed. A hook (Z may also be formed thereon, by means ofwhich the chain may be supported when the cars are uncoupled.

Pivotally supported underneath each car are longitudinal lever-bars D,thelonger arms D of which extend toward each other between the trucks.On the short arm D of which the levers D are attached to the car may bevaried, as indicated at F, according as it is desired to obtain agreater orless leverage for light and heavy cars. Near the ends of eachof the longer arms D'of these levers is an eyee through which thelead-chain passes. To the upper end of each T-arm E is connected a chainor cable G, which passes any suitable number oftimes around the axles ofthe end pairof wheels of the respective trucks, and thence up andsecured to the car-frame. To the lower end of one of the T-arms E issecured a chain or cable H, which passes several times around the axleof the inner pair of wheels of the truck at that-end,thence to the inneraxle of the opposite truck, which it also passes around. and is thensecured to the lower end of the T- arm of the other lever.

Where the brake-chains pass around the axles I may provide a flangedcollar h, which may be either metallic or of some composition or rubberto increase the friction. WVhen the train is in motion, the lead-chainis kept taut, holding the chain A up in the position indicated by dottedlines, Fig. 1, and as shownin Fig. 3, slacking the tension on the brakechains or cables, and permitting the axles to turn freely within theirsurrounding coils. When, however, the tension of the lead-chain isrelaxed, eitherfrom the engine or from any car, or by the accidentalbreaking away of any car, the long arms D of the levers D will fall bygravity, drawing the brake chains or cables tightly around the axles. Inthe latter case the brakes are applied entirely automatically. \Vhen thesaid chains ore-ables are wound around the axles they are so arrangedthat their leaving ends overlap one or more turns of the cable, so thatwhen the long arms of the levers fall the revolutions of the axle willwind up the cable, acting as a windlass, so that the longer the axleturns the tighter the brake is applied. When the leverbars D are long orin the case of a long train, I find it advisable to use the lift-chainsK, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. These chains are attached at one endnear the end of the long arm of the lever, running thence over a pulleyon the car-frame and connected at its other end to the lead-chain. henthe leadeach lever is a T-head E. The point at i ICC chain is made tautthe lift-chains are also tightened, and the lever-bar is raised by thecombined action of both.

The brake-cables might be all in one piece instead of in three parts, asabove described.

What I claim is 1. In a car-brake, the combination, with a lead-chainrunning throughoutthe train and connected to an operating-lever in thelocomotive and engaged bya rod or shaft on each car, of the levershaving a connection with said chain and brake chains or cables connectedto the opposite arms of said levers and passing around the car-axles,substantially as specified.

2. In a car-brake, the combination, with the lead-chain and means forchanging the tension of said chain on the locomotive and on each car, ofthe lever-bars, the longer arms of which have a connection with saidchain, said levers having a T-hcad on their shorter arni,

a chain or cable connected to the upper end of each T- head, passedaround the end axle of the respective truck, and connected to the car,and a chain or cable connected at each end to the lower ends of the saidT-heads, and passing around the inner axles of both trucks,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the lead-chain and its operating devices, ofthe levers having their longer arms engaging said chains, and theirshorter arins having the brake chains or cables connected thereto, ofthe lift-chains connected at one end to one of said levers passing overa pulley and connected at the opposite end of said lead-chain,substantially specified.

JAMES W. I'IARTIGAN. \Vitnesses:

M. V. IIARTIGAN, E. E. CHADWIO

